By Rabbi Debra Stahlberg Dressler, Temple Israel of London (Ontario)

Rabbi Debra Dressler with Head Songleader Jacob Brickman

I own a very comfortable bed. Like, really, really comfortable. Not too firm, not too soft, AND it’s adjustable. I want for nothing when I am at home in the air-conditioned comforts of my London, Ontario, master bedroom.

Yet, each summer I look forward to schlepping approximately five hours east and then north, to spend 10 sweaty, dusty, hot and humid days near Parry Sound at URJ Camp George. And I learn something invaluable each and every year.

For those of you who know me, I am a second-career rabbi. In polite circles, I am what we call “middle-aged.” In the world of summer camps and youth groups I am simply “old.” I also did not grow up in the Jewish world, so I didn’t spend my youth going to Jewish summer camps and NFTY events. I went to orchestra camp. So add “dorky” to my “old” moniker.

Coming to Jewish summer camp was about as easy as that first overnight I spent with my cello at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. I was hot, I didn’t know what all the jargon meant, and suddenly I wanted to turn around and drive home – this time in my wonderfully air-conditioned car. But a few days later, I never wanted to leave.

As a middle-aged, second-career rabbi, I also spend most of my days in some state of what the education and psychology worlds call “conscious competence.” I’ve been an independent working adult for decades, a rabbi or student rabbi for over a decade and a half, and a mother for twenty-five years. I have a sense of my place in the world, and most things I do each day are familiar to me. Having chosen my career and family life, I spend little time focused on “who am I?” and “what is expected of me?” foundational questions.

But that’s where the twenty-somethings come in. They are still figuring out who they want to be. They are still learning what is expected of them, from family, to school, to the world around them. But on camp, they are the experts.

They know what it means to be part of a community – they teach it to the upcoming class of staff every day. They know what it means to engage Jewish children of all ages – they are responsible for it every hour of every day. There is a camp director, and associate and assistant directors, and a few other “grown ups” who monitor and support all the moving pieces. But those twenty-somethings make it all happen. They are the magic ingredient, the “secret sauce” of our camps.

A case in point: One role for “faculty” (that’s what they call us rabbis, cantors, and educators who cycle through camp) is to provide an offering for “choose your own tefillah” night. My song leader was off camp the day I was to plan it, shortly after I arrived at camp. The first thing I did was reach out to Talia, a member of my congregation (she was the first Bat Mitzvah I taught as a newly ordained rabbi!), and ask her what kind of music themes might work. From that “drive-by” 4-minute conversation as we cleared dirty dishes before the birkat hamazon, “Beatles Tefillah” was born. The next day, song leader assignments were shuffled. Now I was working with Jacob.

A few summers back, I got lucky and met Jacob, a new song leader here who would be attending Western in the fall. I had been hoping for and dreaming of this day since I arrived in London, Ontario – bringing a young musician with camp experience into our school. I have been blessed with two full years of working with Jacob at our Sunday School and student services. I’ve worked hard at giving him the latitude not only to execute a music program, but increasingly to shape the future of that program. Already in May and June, he was reaching out to me to plan next year’s program, and he was ready to meet as soon as I landed at camp. He’s absolutely fantastic.

During half of fifth period, I sat with Jacob. I asked him, how should we do this? We scribbled some notes, sang a few bars, made a few inappropriate musical puns, and then took a picture on my phone of the prayer page before racing off to the next activity.

As Jacob and I were sitting together, the Director of Jewish Life (not all that much older than Jacob, and a rabbinical student from the U.K.) said, “it’s amazing watching you two work together.” I don’t think I’ve ever felt prouder of something I had done at camp.

I love working for twenty-somethings. The rest of the year, I serve my community. At camp, I work FOR the very future of the Jewish people.

The future of our people is in very good hands.